IWV specific plan receiving overhaul

Eight months after it was released, the Indian Wells Valley specific plan is receiving an upgrade and an overhaul in regard to feedback discussed on its previous incarnation, according to county officials.

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By Jack Barnwelljbarnwell@ridgecrestca.com

Ridgecrest Daily Independent - Ridgecrest, CA

By Jack Barnwelljbarnwell@ridgecrestca.com

Posted Apr. 2, 2013 at 1:32 PM
Updated Apr 2, 2013 at 1:40 PM

By Jack Barnwelljbarnwell@ridgecrestca.com

Posted Apr 2, 2013 at 1:32 PM
Updated Apr 2, 2013 at 1:40 PM

Eight months after it was released, the Indian Wells Valley specific plan is receiving an upgrade and an overhaul in regard to feedback discussed on its previous incarnation, according to county officials.

First County Supervisor Mick Gleason outlined Thursday in an interview that Kern County would begin consultation and eventually public input on a sustainability plan that would include the unincorporated communities in the Indian Wells Valley.

“What we’re doing is beginning a public process where we will let the citizens who live in Kern County and the Indian Wells Valley have a public discussion on how they want to shape their future,” Gleason said.

Lorelei Oviatt, director of Kern County Planning and Community Development, confirmed the plan Thursday, citing its continuation from the IWV Visioning Report.

“We will be working on water sustainability for the valley,” Oviatt said.

The Visioning Report, released in July 2012 after a series of public meetings in 2011, yielded two major concerns from those participating: water and trails.

Oviatt said the initial plan was to move forward on a specific plan for Inyokern and the valley, but the main concern fell on those two issues.

“The community has been very specific in wanting to address water sustainability first,” Oviatt said.

She said the process would likely go through December before something would be presented to the Board of Supervisors to consider.

Gleason said gathering the data and considering the valley’s direction were the proper steps in considering the future.

“Once we have those — and we hope to have those some time next year, we will be able to make decisions on how best to shape our future,” Gleason said. “We will listen to the public and out of this conversation develop a series of options to see what we can do to achieve our strategic goals.”

Ridgecrest Councilwoman Lori Acton called the decision something that was necessary. Acton sat on the Indian Wells Valley Cooperative Water Management Group’s board until she left her position as former Supervisor Jon McQuiston’s field representative in 2012.

“We’ve got to come up with a sustainability plan for our valley,” Acton said.” I am very excited about it.”

Water sustainability has long been an issue in the valley, especially with the recent expansion of big agricultural development like pistachio orchards.

Acton said the valley’s concerns over big agriculture and water usage were understandable.

“It really affects the water users,” she said. “People don’t want Big Ag in the valley.”

In a area where water resources and availability are a continued concern for residents, Acton doesn’t expect a entirely smooth process.

Page 2 of 2 - “It’s going to get heated,” Acton warned.

However, Acton pointed out the local managers, Larry and Elaine Mead, of Mojave Pistachio, LLC, had been upfront with divulging water usage.

“They have been really great,” Acton said.

However, the outcomes of the sustainability plan remain to be determined, something Indian Wells Valley Water District General Manager Don Zdeba echoed Monday.

“It remains to be seen and would be premature to guess on the outcome,” Zdeba said, pointing out the plan would still be in its infancy when the RFP went out.

Zdeba said there has been a significant increase of agricultural use over the last few years, and its development was understandable.

“There’s a just concern, especially with the Indian Wells Valley water basin that has been in overdraft,” Zdeba said.

The IWV Water Basin provides the valley with its entire groundwater supply, either through private well use or by the district.

Gleason on Thursday pointed out that it was something that should have been already in place

“We should have had the strategic vision in place 10 years ago and that has got us to the point now where what we cannot do is kick the can down the road any longer,” Gleason said.

For Gleason, that starts with the need “to dig in and design a plan” and act on it.

“We’ve got to understand the failures of the past and then make decisions today that have impact and will give us options for developing our future, because without it we’re toast,” Gleason said. “I think what we all agree on is we’re using more water than we’re regaining. If that is the case, we have to take action.”